The Call
by lilkawa
Summary: The Doctor finds a missed call on the phone


The Call

Tish watched her little sister from across the room. Martha was laughing with a tall, good looking dark haired man; the way Martha and the guy were looking at each other told Tish that there must be something going on between them.

She made her way towards them and Martha introduced them, she wasn't surprised that Martha had found herself a geek; well a geek was better than no social life.

Martha fell into the Doctor's arms which were open to receive her.

"I didn't know you could play," she told him.

Tish watched the exchange between the Doctor and Martha, they way they were touching each other. They couldn't keep their hands to themselves.

She couldn't believe Martha had managed to find a bloke, just last night she had talked about her nonexistent social life. She wondered where they had met. She made up her mind to call Martha tomorrow to get the whole story.

After the police had taken Lazarus' body; Francine called to her daughter, "Martha we have to talk."

Martha who was walking arm-in-arm with the Doctor turned to her mother. The Doctor knowing it was probably about him walked a little ways away.

Before Martha or Francine could say a thing, Tish interrupted, "Mom you promised we'd discuss the OTHER issue tonight."

"Yes," Leo added "we have to go."

Martha smiled at her siblings understanding what they were trying to do.

"No," Francine insisted, "and it'll only take a minute."

Martha turned to her mother.

"I have heard things," her mother began. "It's alright," Martha interrupted her mother, "I won't get hurt."

Francine tried again, "but Martha I ." Leo interrupted, "Mom, she's an adult and anyway can't you talk about it later. I'm tired and I want to get out of this suit."

Meanwhile Tish had gotten the chance he'd been waiting for.

"Doctor, what's going on between you and my sister, when and where did you meet?"

"Aah, nothing, she's just helping me with ah stuff."

"What kind of stuff?" Tish pressed him. The Doctor floundered and before he could answer, Tish continued, "Anyway, I imagine its science doctorish stuff which I'm sure I won't understand. So I'll just say this, she's strong but don't hurt her."

"Hurt her? Why would I hurt her?" the Doctor asked

"I've seen the way you are with each other, the way you look at her when she's not looking." "Hands all over each other," she added gesturing.

"That was just aahm" the Doctor began, "I didn't touch her." At Tish's look he added, "Well maybe a little."

Tish continued giving the look and he swallowed hard. "I can't think of her that way. She's helpful in tricky situations, fast on her feet and brilliant. Just because she changed her hair, wore a very nice dress and looked great and wore great shoes. It does mean I ..."

Tish touched his arm.

"Don't hurt her. Don't take advantage of her. She has a very big heart."

Martha came back before he could say anything. "Come on then let's go." She linked her hand through his.

"Martha you're not seriously going with him?" Francine asked worriedly.

"I'm just walking her home" the Doctor told them, "that's all."

Martha smiled sadly at her family, "really that's it."

The Doctor looked at Martha, she really did look great, he thought.

She is great, Tish was right Martha is brilliant but I am not taking advantage of her.

I wonder if I can convince her to continue traveling with me.

The Doctor hugged Martha closely; he couldn't believe how much he had missed her. All the time in 1913 he had talked to her and at times as John Smith he had wondered how she came to be in his family's employ. During the last few days as John Smith he'd been too taken with Nurse Redfern - Joan he'd even shouted at Martha, yet all she'd wanted and indeed all she had done was take care of him.

"What do you do for him, what does he need you for?"

He remembered the stricken look in her eyes, like he had hit her; and how he had hurt her with those words. Yet Martha hadn't deserted him but encouraged him and stood by him instead.

He remembered Tish's words to him "don't hurt her, don't take advantage of her." Well he hadn't – at least not intentionally. He had been rude but to be fair, she'd been his maid and one could be rude to one maid. No, he thought, maid or not she hadn't deserved his rudeness.

Martha had such a big heart; she'd taken back her confessions of love because she knew he didn't return them. Who could blame her, every time she got a certain look in her eyes he shot her down and usually brought up Rose. She knew her love wasn't wanted yet she bore with him. She'd even offered to talk to Joan – he wondered what she would have said – probably something good about him. She'd probably have tried to convince the other woman to give him another chance.

He had hurt her, he had taken advantage of her – yet the hug she was giving him was telling him that he'd been forgiven. Without even asking Martha had forgiven him and he was back in her good graces. "Let's go," he told her after Timothy had left. She bounced into the TARDIS and turned her bright eyes to him and asked excitedly, "where are we going?"

"Martha, get ready for the surprise of you life"

"Really?" she asked

"What do you think about ice skating on the frozen moon of Adsrika?"

"OK," she agreed enthusiastically.

"No, I got it," the Doctor said, "Let's get all dressed up and go to the opera, you know rub shoulders with the beautiful people."

Martha agreed," it would be good to wear some nice clothes."

Her remark almost broke his heart, yet he knew Martha was not complaining.

Martha Jones you are a star he thought.

Martha was brought in between two armed men. The Doctor looked at her from his cage. She looked beautiful – tired but mostly beautiful. She had survived the ordeal, he had had some doubts – who wouldn't, not about her ability but that maybe somehow she would get herself killed before that day – but mostly he'd been sure that if any of his companions would have done it, it would be Martha Jones.

He heard the Master put her down, like she meant nothing, like she hadn't completed her mission and survived the year. He remembered how he had also underrated Martha, he had seen her brilliance, on the moon and even later in their travels but he hadn't known how strong she really was.

Tish had told him but he'd thought she was just talking; Martha was her little sister after all. Now he knew beyond all doubt that Martha Jones was a force to be reckoned with.

The Doctor stood with Martha in the TARDIS and listened to her talking about 'getting out'. She wanted to 'get out', he cursed all the times he had held his tongue and even the times he had spoken, telling her that kissing her meant nothing, that she wasn't replacing Rose, that she didn't know what to do yet Rose would know. Now she was telling him about her friends, and how this was her 'getting out', he wished he had the courage to speak, to tell her how he felt.

She kissed him on the cheek, gave a nice big hug like the one he'd come to expect from his Martha, and then gave him her phone. So she'd always be able to get in touch with him. He caught the phone and kept it.

Many times he imagined the phone rang and he would pull it out, especially when he was alone in the control room and Donna wasn't looking. Some nights when things were really quiet and there was no 'emergency' he would pull it out wonder how his Martha was faring. Maybe he thought I should just drop in for a visit, knowing Martha she would be happy to see him no matter what.

_  
The Doctor pulled out Martha's phone and looked at it for the longest time and wondered how Martha was. Probably not thinking about me, he thought, too busy with her human life. How could she just go on without even calling to say hey, how is the whole universe? Whatever it was people called to say.

He turned it over and noticed that he had a missed call.

What, when did this happen, he wondered, must have been when he was running from the Xandthes.

He looked at the number; it was a UK number, Martha had called him. She hadn't even left a message. He looked at his clocks, it was morning in London. Maybe she's sick, the world is under siege, and then he started to dial the number and stopped. A though crossed his mind maybe it's someone who thinks it's still Martha's phone; he couldn't handle talking to a guy looking for Martha.

But it could be her looking for me.

He decided to call the number before he changed his mind. What's the worst that can happen – her boyfriend or husband picks up – he felt himself weaken and was about to hang up when a voice said "hello"

"Hello," he answered tentatively it didn't sound like Martha.

"About time you called," Tish told him

"Tish Jones, what is going on, is Martha fine, is she ok?"

"Of course she's fine, but you have a lot to answer for mister," she told him

Martha was fine, his hearts steadied. "What did I do this time?" he asked

"I told you not to hurt my sister, not to take advantage of her and you did," was the reply

"I didn't," he began then stopped, "Tish believe me when I say I never meant to."

"Well tell Martha that, you could have called at least to see how she was"

"But I didn't have her number," he hated explaining himself to humans.

"You know where she lives," Tish countered.

"Yes I do," the Doctor acknowledged, "I didn't know if I would be welcome."

"Well you can't know if you don't try," Tish told him, "You'd think a guy your age would know that."

The Doctor was silent for a while and he said "thanks Tish for calling"

"Yeah, yeah," Tish told the Doctor, "she's off work at 6.00pm and this is her number in case you're wondering."

He looked at the clock 8 hours until her shifted ended. It was going to be a long day.

At 6.30pm London time the Doctor landed outside Martha's flat, he'd thought of going in but changed his mind, what if there was someone inside waiting for her.

Martha let herself into the flat and could have sworn she heard the TARDIS whirl but when she turned it wasn't there. Overthinking about the Doctor, she thought I hope he's fine wherever he is.

The Doctor watched Martha enter her flat and decided it was now or never. He walked to her door and knocked.

He heard her voice, "coming."

She opened her door and stared.

"Martha Jones, you're a sight for sore eyes," he opened his arms

They hugged and he twirled her round and round.

"O Martha," he whispered, "I can't tell you how much I've missed you."

"Me too Doctor," she replied, "me too."

He smiled at her "Aren't you going me invite me in?"

She smiled back.

end


End file.
